During the City of Lilie's annual summer festival, disaster strikes, and Rosaline finds herself in the middle of an invasion. Stuck in a journey to find her grandfather and loved ones, she teams up with a criminally inclined elf, a dwarf who is more than meets the eye, and her teenage fire-bending neighbor.
Their task is simple, but when a book grants Rosaline abilities, a hidden magical society takes notice and brings her into a conspiracy that extends to the country's capital.
In a tale of love, loss, and magic, the land of Storchfall will never be the same.
During the City of Lilie's annual summer festival, disaster strikes, and Rosaline finds herself in the middle of an invasion. Stuck in a journey to find her grandfather and loved ones, she teams up with a criminally inclined elf, a dwarf who is more than meets the eye, and her teenage fire-bending neighbor.
Their task is simple, but when a book grants Rosaline abilities, a hidden magical society takes notice and brings her into a conspiracy that extends to the country's capital.
In a tale of love, loss, and magic, the land of Storchfall will never be the same.
The war did not begin with a calamity; rather, a book.Â
While a guard struggled to pull a man from the road, Rosaline listened to the protesterâs cries. This was not an uncommon sound in the city since they had banned enchantments and put apothecaries, fortune tellers, and other shops in danger. The kingâs intention was to suppress rebellious behavior, but this had increased unease in the kingdom. Although Rosaline never involved herself in these matters, she couldnât help but worry about the riots and how far they would escalate. Demonstrations in eastern cities ended with buildings burning brightly with peopleâs rage, but this had not been enough to effect change.Â
She made her way through the crowded city streets, avoiding the chaos caused by the protesters by slipping into a nearby alley. She couldnât help but notice the various businesses lurking in the shadows of the distant alleyways. Rumors were that these businesses were home to illegal acts, such as black markets and money laundering, which the royal guard turned a blind eye to. But Rosaline never believed tales from a drunkardâs mouth after a long night at the tavern. Truthfully, wealthy individuals ignored this side of town because it didnât fit into their mold of perfection.
Propaganda posters cluttered the aging stairs leading to the surface, but a group of loitering men blocked the way. They appeared older than her, but the thick coating of mud and filth made them look like theyâd been through a lifetime. A flash of empathy occupied her, but she knew she couldnât just give away her money.
âAye, you wanna help me out?â one of them said, rising from a squat.
She concentrated on the staircase, praying he wouldnât continue; beggars werenât an issue on the main roads, but the setting sun and isolation equaled a dangerous situation.
âIâm talking to you!â An arm clutched her shoulder, bringing her to a stop.
âGo bug someone else,â she spoke with an uncaring voice, reaching into her pocket to retrieve a weapon if necessary.
âSheâs got a knife!â the second man proclaimed, sending them into mayhem.
The gust of air from the assailantâs swing grazed her cheek, leaving her breathless; fleeing wasnât an option since thugs blocked the exit. She turned with remarkable swiftness, making up for her lack of strength. Crouching, she delivered an unexpected kick to the manâs leg, making him stumble and crash on his partner.
A fist connected with her cheek, and Rosaline tasted the sharp tang of copper in her mouth. The men closed in on her one by one, but she launched off the bricks and hurled herself at the group, giving enough room to retreat. It wasnât until she reached the top of the staircase that she realized her satchel had fallen during the tussle.
Shit.
She speculated about running away and giving it up, but couldnât bear to see her grandfatherâs disappointment again. Not with her plans to leave.
The tight alley made it challenging to see, so she booted her enemyâs chest, assuming heâd take out the others. Although, the thug jerked her foot and brought her with him. The impact of the collapse sent intense pain beaming across her back as she struggled to regain orientation. While the others oriented themselves, Rosaline grabbed the money thatâd fallen out of the satchel, and hurried to get her belongings back.Â
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When Rosaline arrived back home, she attempted to slink into her room unnoticed. Rosaline managed to get to her desk before her grandfather, Litchell, paused in her doorway, his face a variety of shock and disbelief; sheâd been in some skirmishes in her youth, but nothing violent like this. When he came back with a washcloth soaked with liquor, she unwillingly eased onto the bed and let him clean the scratch resting below her cheekbone.
âYou better have a good explanation.â
âWould you believe me if I said I saved an orphanage?â She tried to lighten the conversation by laughing, but he didnât fall for it.
âRosaline, who did this to you?â
âSome greedy thugs,â she frowned at the ceiling, unable to deal with the disappointment pouring from his eyes.
âYou shouldâve given them what they wanted.â
âIâd already threatened them with a knife; I canât back off after that.â
âIf I knew youâd be scaring people, I wouldnât have given it to you.â
âThey threatened me first.â
Litchell looked at her with a paternal scowl, but relented when Rosalineâs body recoiled from the alcoholâs sting. There was no doubt the disaster would encompass her body in bruises, which, admittedly, was an issue for later. But, for now, she fixated on remaining still while he dealt with the blood.
âWhen will you stay out of trouble?â
âI was thinking next week, but we can work something out.â
He didnât appreciate her joke, firing an irritated glimpse in her direction. âWhy didnât you take the main roads?â
âIf the protests werenât blocking the way, I would have.â
âAll this ruckus over a law.â he swayed his head in disapproval. âTheyâre causing more damage than the politicians are.â
âPeople are losing their businesses; imagine if the crown forced you to close the forge. I donât blame them for being angry.â
Litchell held back a stifled laugh. âYou know that isnât the same.â
Rosaline readied herself for a lecture; they never agreed about magic and clashed when the subject came up. She disdained the new laws, but as most people advised her, there were good reasons for the regulations.
While Litchell talked about his narrative, she zoned out, thinking of the madness going off in the square tonight. He gathered his news from gossip around town, ignoring anything they printed in the papers. There was no point in arguing with him since heâd grown old and stubborn.
Heâd never lived a peaceful existence. His father never returned from the war, leaving him to grow up as a farm boy, and no matter how hard she tried, his mother seemed to fall short when caring for six children. This left his sister, Amelia, to take the burden of motherhood she never asked for. Even though most days they feared what the next day would bring, he was determined to survive. When he turned eighteen, he enlisted in the army to help his family, but the trade-off wasnât justifiable.
âYou donât know what a war looks like. You didnât grow close to anyone because they ultimately would end up dead or insane.â Heâd say with the weight of alcohol easing the words from his stammering breath.
He settled in a coastal town, where he fell in love with a beautiful young woman who already had two children, and married her without a second thought. The town grew boring and reeked of fish, so they packed up all they had, and he built his life in the City of Lilies. It wasnât long before they settled into the house Litchell had built, creating new traditions and families to roam.
âAre you listening?â Â
âAlways.â
Rosaline's life hasn't been perfectly pretty, but she's found a comfortable home with her grandfather in the City of Lilies. She helps him run the forge, and has made life-long friends. Life seems normal, and perhaps a little mundane at times, but the world isn't all what it seems. During the annual summer festival, Rosaline and her city are plunged into disaster and invaded by some unknown force. Now, she's on a journey to recover her grandfather and friends that will wrap her up in plots much, much bigger.
"The Banished Societies" is a wonderful journey set in a fantasy world. It has a classic fantasy story feel, too. Rosaline and Kaku are quickly adopted by an elf and dwarf who take pity on their situation. The foursome dive head first into even deeper trouble by getting mixed up with a secret society that takes far more interest in Rosaline when a magic book grants her powers.
The entire tale was an interesting read. The central conflict morphs from a simple adventure looking for lost family and friends, into one that encompasses a much greater power and plan. Then it morphs even further into something that could harm the entire world. This kept things fresh, instead of dragging out a single storyline longer than necessary. It's ultimately one grand journey for a couple of people who've never been outside their own city.
Plus, the characters make for a great cast, too. Everyone has their own story and their own motivations. No one is overly unenjoyable, either. Rosaline is strong and sometimes hard-headed, but not unwilling to learn. Kaku is a brash teenager, while the elf is a thief with a mysterious backstory. The dwarf being the hot-headed voice of reason is a fun addition to the group, too. Together, they make a fun dynamic that play off each other.
This novel is perfect for readers who enjoy the fantasy journey type stories. Think, one grand journey to save the world, and that's what you have here. Plus, it's clearly just the first entry in a series, which means there's far more fun to be had.